" There is no reason to invoke any arguments about thickness &c.
Pi = 3 to one significant figure. "

I've had several distressing discussions about this with persons on
Compuserve's RELIGION forum. It seems that for certain of our atheist
friends this provides an almost infallible way of "disproving the Bible."
While there are a lot of possible arguments around the verses, none of
them "count." I suggest that when you find this argument used, walk away.
It is not an honest one (IMHO).

BTW -- since I don't hold to biblical inerrancy myself, that's an easy
"cop out" for me. If I did, then I guess I would prefer the explanation
that the language used there was of the type of the carpenter who asks
his assistant for a "2 by 4." If the assistant took that literally, he'd
have a hard search for the lumber.